VARIOUS – MR SCRUFF ‘KEEP IT SOLID STEEL’ PART ONE (NINJA TUNE)
September 17th, 2004 by susanna
“Hi there. This is the kinda thing we do in a nightclub”
In an age where it seems record companies are happy to promote the latest mix album by any half decent DJ, it comes as a huge surprise to learn this is the first such release by the hugely popular and almost ubiquitous Mr Scruff.
Fortunately, especially judging by the quality of the album which finds Scruff at his eclectic best, it won’t be his last. Because this mix is billed as Part One of Scruff’s entry into Ninja’s fine series of Keep It Solid Steel mix albums.
Despite proclaiming in the sleeve notes that many of his favourite DJs “don’t even mix” Scruff manages to skip through dub, hip-hop, soul, soundtrack scores and electronica with all the ease of Delia Smith whipping up an Angel Delight. And while the inclusion of a whopping 31 tracks welded together under 68 minutes suggests it’s not quite the kinda thing this marathon 6-hour-set DJ does in a nightclub it’s no problem because this more condensed, slimline version is a perfect companion to his live sets.
Opening up with ‘Ing’, a nice slab of dub in the form of a collaboration between Mungo’s Hi Fi and Brother Culture, Scruff keeps the mood mellow throughout the first part of the album. There some real beauties in here including ‘Time Machine’, a funky psychedelic gem by 70′s soul outfit Chocolate Milk, and ‘Flashback’ by Arsonists which is dreamily mixed into the gorgeous Erykah Badu track ‘Back In The Day’.
‘Ego Trippin’ from Ultramagnet MCs lifts the tempo a notch before Scruff effortlessly alternates between UK and LA Hip Hop in a 4 track burst which includes the ’94 classic ‘Check The Vibe’ by Dred Scott.
Refreshingly, the centre of the album is welded together by plenty of UK Hip Hop. Tracks from the likes of Demon Boyz, Cappo and Microdisiacs, whose funky electro hip hop tune ‘Deep Waters’ (“because we’ve got to make you burn like ginger people in the sun”) is a beauty, are a precursor to a smart little Roots Manuva tribute by London’s ‘Border Crossing’.
If there is a criticism (and it’s a minute one) it’s that the electronica tracks dropped near the end (‘Detchibe’ by Prefuse 73 and ‘CPU Song’ by Little Miss Trinitron) don’t sit that comfortably in the mix alongside the more organic soul and hip hop tunes around them.
This theory is backed up by the two songs that finish off the mix: Soul II Soul’s lush debut single ‘Fairplay’ and a jazz soul beauty from Pharaoh Sanders featuring vocals by, among others, Bobby McFerrin.
However this really is a minor quibble over a beautifully crafted piece of work that ends on the upbeat mantra: “Peace, unity, love and having fun”.
All we can hope for now is that the hardworking Mancunian doesn’t let his Tea Shoppe owning exploits get in the way of swiftly producing Keep It Solid Steel Part II.
The Gaffer
Mr Scruff’s ‘Keep It Solid Steel: Part One’ is out now on Ninja Tune. Go buy it now, because he’s in the running for the top 20 in the compilation album charts! Seriously! At the moment he’s at number 23, but a few more sales and he could nudge ‘Pure Bling’ and ‘Power Ballads 2′ out of the top twenty…
Plus, the Mr Scruff documentary ‘No Pies for 200 Yards’ will be screened on Channel 4 at 2.45am on Friday 17th September.
